The present application relates generally to vehicle door latch and striker assemblies, and more particularly to a striker assembly that is attached to vehicle structure and engaged by a door latch when a vehicle door is closed.
Automotive vehicles are typically equipped with a door latch mounted in each door that engages a striker assembly mounted to vehicle structure, such as a vehicle door jam. The latch typically has a fish mouth slot that engages with a striker pin to hold the door in its closed position.
For some striker assemblies, a striker pin is attached to a U-shaped strap having a base that is bolted to the vehicle structure. The striker pin may have a shank that slides through the base, with a larger portion that bottoms in the base to retain the pin in the base, and an opposed end that is secured in a concentric hole through the other end of the strap. For various cost, performance, and aesthetic reasons, many of these prior striker assemblies are not as desirable as they could be.
The striker assemblies used in today's vehicles must not only satisfy strength and durability requirements, but must do so while still enabling the door system to perform satisfactorily under various environmental conditions, all while improving the visual aesthetics of the striker assemblies and providing a perceived quality feel for customers when opening and closing the vehicle doors.